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Zimba Blog: WSOP Memories Redux

The latest installment of my Zimba blog shares some of the memories from my various trips to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker over the last five years. It's the highlight of the year for many poker players, fans, and those of us who work in the poker industry so this is an effort to get the juices flowing with less than two weeks to go. I'll share the first six today, and the next six later in the week.
Zimba Blog:

With less than two weeks to go before the start of the 2011 World Series of Poker, I thought I would pull out the old "WSOP Memories" blog, reformulated and enhanced to get the juices flowing for this year's series. My first "WSOP Memories" blog reflecting back on my first WSOP visit in 2006 only got 34 views a couple months into my blogging career. This one is much bigger and will be split up into two parts; the second part will go up later this week.

Here are the first six of twelve categories of memories that I'll share from my various WSOP trips.

1. Online usernames became flesh and blood (2006) As a predominately online poker player and remote-based employee, I had never met any of my employers or the online pros and friends I had cultivated until my first WSOP in 2006. The first gathering was at the now replaced Bamboleo Mexican restaurant at the Rio where I got to meet my bosses at the time, Taylor "GreenPlastic" Caby, and Andrew "Muddywater" Wiggins who at the time was too young to even play in the Main Event, along with early CardRunners adherents Latestlines2, RIKD, Samh133, spudt24, steamboat, Gaucho2121, and a dozen other members and friends. Soon after I met Jsup, Johnnydrama, and Cmitch. Putting a face and real life personality to the two dimensional relationships forged online created a richness and gravity to my my time in poker for the first time.

2. Following the entire WSOP journey (2007) I covered the entire 2007 Main Event, whereas I usually don't stay for the entire event. That year I got to report on and rail Lee Childs, one of the CR members that I was tasked with covering, from the very first moments as he navigated through 6,358 players over 8 playing days over 12 total days to finish 7th for over $705k. I got to know his family and friends along the rail and see Lee journey from unknown to TV final table fame and making a nice score that propelled him to professional poker status. If he had not made his infamous Q's laydown hand to Jerry Yang, he might have made life changing money and fame. Such is tournament poker.

3. CardRunners Memories (2006 and 2007)The first couple years, it was my work for CardRunners that brought me to Vegas. I'll share a couple memories from those trips. One night Ezra and I accompanied a CR member who had won a "party with the pros" promo on the site and was due a private sweat session with Brian Townsend and Taylor Caby. It was very interesting to hear both of these high stakes player's thought processes for the first time; both how they were so advanced and yet different in their approach. We then went down to a late night high-end meal and then to Tryst for a dance floor private table night of drinking and dancing.

The other night was the infamous Saphire CardRunners Bluff party. I don't do the strip club thing so this was different, but they rented out a big room in back with a stage and open bar. It was packed with tons of live and online poker pros enjoying the open bar and entertainment. The CR crew was throwing around "Saphire bucks" and while I avoided it for a while, Brian "Stinger" Hastings bought me a lap dance from some "chica muy caliente" from Mexico City. To compound matters, Brian snapped a shot on his phone with her derriere by my face thus undermining any future political career I might have.

4. WSOP July 4th Parties (2009 and 2010) Everest Poker was the title sponsor for several years and as such they held one of the best parties to celebrate their role. It was held on the roof top club portion of Pure, at the top of Caesars. There was an open bar with beautiful girls bringing you drinks while you nibbled on the Euro-inspired hors d'oeuvres listening to the live DJ. Then when the fireworks start, they are literally going on over your head with thousands on the ground several floors below you. One year the ash from the fireworks was falling all over us. In 2009, I invited a couple friends along and we danced the night away in the club once the rooftop party ended.

5. Access to poker stars (2010 - For the amateur player or fan, one of the greatest aspects of visiting the WSOP is your access to see all the most famous poker players in the game. Unlike most sports where superstars are sheltered from easy public access, at the Rio convention rooms, you can rail, wander the halls or even bump into in the bathrooms with the biggest stars in poker.

"Take seven minutes from my day today. I walked down the long hallway from the Rio, passed through the press room, and wandered into the Amazon room.

World Series Main Event champions I passed:

2007 - Jerry Yang
2006 - Jamie Gold
2005 - Joe Hachem
2003 - Chris Moneymaker
2000 - Chris Ferguson
1989 - Phil Hellmuth
1977 - Doyle Brunson

The next seven minutes that I wandered the Amazon room I encountered seven more great young players who might join them some day:

Tom Dwan
Annette Obrestad
Jonathan Little
Daniel Kelly
Brian Rast
Vivek Rajkumer
David Benefield

6. Poker Room Parties (2006-2010) One of the regular fixtures over the years at the WSOP has been the online poker room sponsored parties. These rooms benefited from the online play of many of the players coming to Vegas for the series and they get to promote themselves and give back a little to their players who can mingle with some of their pros.

My first poker room party was in 2006 on the rooftop of the Rio at the Voodoo Lounge for the UB party. Lots of hot girls were hired to work the crowd and Phil Hellmuth held court as the open bar vodka and Redbulls went down smooth and easy.

Another party that year was associated with the Wounded Warrior function held at the private exclusive residential enclave attached to the Rio, where Kenna James, Amir Vahedi, Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliot, Gavin Smith, Brooklyn Dan Pugliese, and Marcel Luske all sang karaoke during the evening.

I recall a couple fun Doylesroom sponsored parties at Blush in the Wynn which were always crowded but fun poker star studded affairs. A PokerStars party at Ghost Bar at the Palms was another interesting event with Daniel Negreanu, Noah Boeken and others.

In 2010, Victory Poker CEO Dan Fleyshman held a BBQ and UFC party at his Panorama Towers pool side townhouse. Victory Poker pro in attendance included Antonio Esfandiari, Andrew Robl, Dan Bilzerian, Keith Gibson, Paul Wasicka, David Chicotsky, and Sarah Underwood. In addition to fellow poker industry affiliates, there was a Scandinavian contingent of high stakes pros, including Sami 'LarsLuzak' Keloupro. Other pros in attendance included Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilly, Justin Bonomo, Sorel Mizzi, and Lacey Jones.

First Zimba Blog: I Want That Feeling, One Time!
Second Zimba Blog: Sunday Poker Diatribe
Third Zimba Blog: Thoughts and Experiences with Cheating in Poker
Fourth Zimba Blog: The Myth of Money Won in Poker
Fifth Zimba Blog: Poker Super Powers - The Cloak of Invincibility
Sixth Zimba Blog: The Good News About The Portuguese Prodigy
Seventh Zimba Blog: Finding Your Place In Poker
Eighth Zimba Blog: Poker Empathy
Ninth Zimba Blog: Poker - A Global Game
Tenth Zimba Blog: 10 Things I Learned From My First Week Not Playing Poker
Eleventh Zimba Blog: The Blame Game
Twelfth Zimba Blog: Commentary On FSG 218 Pros List
Thirteenth Zimba Blog: Poker News or Perspective?

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